Department of Health and Social Care

Eating Disorders: Waiting Lists

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they willpublish the data for waiting times for adults needing treatment for eating disorders; and if so, when.

Lord Markham: We are working with NHS England on the introduction new waiting time standards for mental health as part of its clinically-led review of NHS access standards. One of these is that adults and older adults presenting to community-based mental health services, including eating disorder services, should start to receive help within four weeks from referral. A date for its introduction has not yet been set.

Health Services and Social Services: Regulation

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps are being taken to (1) significantly reduce, and (2) reform, the amount of regulators and regulatory systems in the health and care sector.

Lord Markham: The Government is committed to reforming the system of regulation for healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom, making it faster, fairer, more flexible and less adversarial. A modernised regulatory framework will be introduced first for anaesthesia associates and physician associates, who will be brought into regulation under the General Medical Council by the end of 2024, before the reformed legislation is rolled out to doctors, and to the professions regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the Health and Care Professions Council over the following couple of years.The Care Quality Commission has set out plans to introduce a new single assessment framework for care providers, local authorities, and integrated care systems, which will prevent duplication and provide a consistent and accessible means of ensuring safe and high-quality provision of care at all levels.

Abortion: Prosecutions

Lord Moylan: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prosecution of Carla Foster for an offence under section 58 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861; and what consideration they have given to proposing legislation to prevent similar cases from happening, in particular, by reintroducing the requirement for women to be seen in-person at least once before being issued abortion pills.

Lord Markham: No assessment has been made. Decisions to prosecute in England and Wales are a matter for the independent Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). As with all criminal offences, in deciding whether to bring a prosecution the CPS will apply the two-stage test in the Code for Crown Prosecutors: whether there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction; and whether a prosecution is needed in the public interest.Parliament voted to amend the Abortion Act 1967 to allow women in England and Wales to take one or both pills for early medical abortion at home. Women should be given the choice to either have an in-person consultation with a clinician or to have a virtual consultation, and if eligible, will be able to take both pills for early medical abortion at home. We have been clear that abortion providers should not move to a digital by default approach.There are no plans to review or change abortion laws. As with other matters of conscience, abortion is an issue on which the government adopts a neutral stance.

Benzodiazepines

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether there is any link between benzodiazepine prescribed drugs and an increased risk of (1) Alzheimer's disease, (2) brain damage, (3) lung cancer, and (4) seizure.

Lord Markham: The class of medicines known as benzodiazepines include a number of active substances and have been extensively studied. Benzodiazepines are indicated for short-term (two to four weeks) use. All medicines are associated with some risks and these medicines are no exception.Safety concerns that are established to be associated with a medicine are outlined in the product information available for each medicine, this includes possible side effects. The product information for benzodiazepines do not currently include a risk of Alzheimer's disease or lung cancer. However, there is a warning that patients with severe liver impairment may develop encephalopathy (damage or disease which affects the brain). In addition, the drug withdrawal reactions may include seizure and this may be more common in patients with pre-existing seizure disorders or who are taking other medicines which lower the seizure threshold such as antidepressants.

Medical Records: Digital Technology

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the usability of electronic health record systems across healthcare organisations; and what plans they have to improve usability.

Lord Markham: The primary reason for variation in digital maturity is disparity in national and local investment over the past two decades. NHS England aims to address this through the £2 billion investment in Frontline Digitisation. This includes supporting systems to improve Electronic Patient Record coverage and digital capability across secondary care. Where feasible, we are encouraging the use of integrated care system-wide solutions to support integrated care.To improve the usability of systems and maximise clinical efficiency, patient care, and financial returns on investment, NHS England plans to provide targeted support to trusts, develop scenario-based guidance materials, and run nationally available events to support mutual learning and inter-trust information sharing.

Processed Food

Baroness Suttie: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they are having with (1) UK medical professionals and scientists, and (2) international partners, about (a) developing, and (b) agreeing, internationally recognised definitions of ultra-processed food.

Lord Bethell: The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) is currently carrying out a scoping review of the evidence on processed foods and health and aims to publish its initial assessment in the summer of 2023. SACN’s scoping review will make a number of research recommendations in this area. This review will also include evaluating existing classifications of processed foods, including ultra-processed foods and the NOVA classification.SACN is a committee of the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and provides independent scientific advice and risk assessments on nutrition and related health issues. Members of SACN are appointed as independent scientific experts in their field. We are not aware of any plans to agree a definition internationally.The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health including ultra-processed foods. The usual practice of the NIHR is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Veterinary Medicine

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask His Majesty's Government what process the Veterinary Medicines Directorate uses to determine whether to grant an application to vary the marketing authorisation of a prescription-only veterinary medicine to allow over-the-counter sale.

Lord Benyon: Veterinary medicine approvals are assessed against statutory criteria for safety, quality and efficacy, as set down in the Veterinary Medicines Regulation. We assess the risks of providing products over-the-counter against the benefits and this is taken to the VPC for independent consideration.

Veterinary Medicine

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask His Majesty's Government what documents are provided by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate to the Veterinary Products Committee to enable them to assess whether an application to vary the marketing authorisation of a prescription-only veterinary medicine to allow over-the-counter sale can be granted.

Lord Benyon: The VMD provides the VPC with the assessment report (as peer-reviewed and agreed by the internal scientific review committee). The assessment report includes a benefit-risk assessment and conclusion as to whether the VMD consider that the variation to lower the distribution category should be granted.

Veterinary Medicine

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria the Veterinary Products Committee uses to recommend whether an application to vary the marketing authorisation of a prescription-only veterinary medicine to allow over-the-counter sale be granted.

Lord Benyon: The VPC review VMD’s assessment and conclusion (they may question the assessors if necessary) and provide an opinion as to whether they agree (or not) with the VMD’s conclusion to grant (or not) the lower distribution category. The VMD consider the VPC’s advice and make a final decision as to whether an application to vary the marketing authorisation of a prescription-only veterinary medicine to allow over-the-counter sale is granted. The criteria for the VMD’s decision are that:the non-prescription category must be legally permitted, andthe benefit-risk balance must remain favourable, i.e. any potential increased risks to animal health, public health or the environment, due to increased availability and absence of veterinary point of supply advice, can be suitability mitigated.

Developing Countries: Veterinary Medicine

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government whether, and if so to what extent, they provide direct financial support for the development of veterinary clinical skill laboratories in low- and middle-income countries to strengthen animal health systems.

Lord Benyon: While we do not provide direct financial support for the development of veterinary clinical skill laboratories in low- and middle-income countries, we proactively support country and regional partners with Official Development Assistance funding to strengthen health systems, including through our £5m Animal Health Systems Strengthening Project, which is providing technical assistance and other capability-building to veterinary services in Africa. In addition, and to ensure the UK effectively drives better and sustainable health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries, our world-class laboratories are actively involved in delivering global health outreach programmes, including laboratory twinning projects to build diagnostic capability for the surveillance and detection of animal diseases. We have also developed and delivered e-learning modules for over 200 veterinary professionals and paraprofessionals working in low- and middle-income countries to build skills in laboratory diagnostics, surveillance strategies, pandemic preparedness training, epidemiology, and veterinary medicine residue surveillance. All UK Aid spend is published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office as Statistics on International Development, and is available at GOV.UK.

Hazardous Substances: Waste Disposal

Lord Mann: To ask His Majesty's Government how many 'orphan' waste sites deal with hazardous waste; and what recent discussionsthey have had with businesses aboutminimising taxation barriers for such sites.

Lord Benyon: The Environment Agency has no records of orphaned waste sites containing hazardous waste. Local Authorities will hold records of orphan sites on their contaminated land registers. A Call for Evidence was held from 21 July to 18 August 2022 on a Proposed Landfill Tax Grant Scheme. The Grant Scheme, announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the last Spring Budget, will help Local Authorities cover the cost of landfill tax in land remediation projects. The Government Response to the Call for Evidence was published on 15 March 2023 and the Grant Scheme is currently under development.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Statutory Instruments

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish the statutory post implementation reviews of (1) the African Horse Sickness (England) Regulations 2012, (2) the Animals and Animal Products (Examination for Residues and Maximum Residue Limits) (England and Scotland) Regulations 2015, (3) the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013, (4) the Sea Fishing (Points for Masters of Fishing Boats) Regulations 2014, and (5) the Alien and Locally Absent Species in Aquaculture (England and Wales) Regulations 2011.

Lord Benyon: Defra expects to publish the below PIRs as follows: (1) The African Horse Sickness (England) Regulations 2012 - July 2023(2) The Animals and Animal Products (Examination for Residues and Maximum Residue Limits) (England and Scotland) Regulations 2015 - Autumn 2023(3) The Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013 - August 2023(4) The Sea Fishing (Points for Masters of Fishing Boats) Regulations 2014 - September 2023(5) The Alien and Locally Absent Species in Aquaculture (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 - July 2023

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: HIV Infection

Baroness Barker: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for the Armed Forces on 14 March 2022 (136647), whether their commitment to lift barriers to people living with HIV joining and serving in the military has been fully implemented, including for pilots and air traffic controllers.

Baroness Goldie: Policy changes were introduced on 21 June 2022 allowing those living with HIV to join and serve in the Armed Forces. Candidates or serving personnel must be stable on their treatment and have detectable viral loads within the specified parameters. The RAF has undertaken a detailed examination of the latest scientific evidence covering the HIV illness and medication effects within the context of the standards of aviation medical safety. This included input from a wide range of experts in military aviation medicine, HIV and occupational medicine specialists. The HIV policy for currently serving Aircrew and Controller roles has been approved and individuals who are HIV+ or taking PrEP will be assessed for medical fitness to fly in accordance with safety policy. Candidates who are HIV+ are currently considered unfit for service in Aircrew and Controller roles, aligned with current medical policy where medical conditions preclude entry.

NATO Countries: Defence

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government which NATO countries that are also members of the G7 contribute less than 2 per cent of their GDP on defence spending; and what that spending is as a percentage of their GDP.

Baroness Goldie: The UK has consistently met or exceeded NATO’s Defence Investment Pledge to spend 2% on defence. NATO publishes on their website (https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_49198.htm) an annual compendium of defence spending data for all Allies, based on a common definition of defence expenditure.

Department for Education

Arabic and Religion: Education

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Barran on 22 June (HL7956), whether they will now answer the question put; namely, what assessment they have made of any implications for national security arising from the funding received by schools from Qatar Foundation International for the teaching of religious education and Arabic in schools; and if they have made no such assessment, whether they intend to do so.

Baroness Barran: The government continuously assesses threats posed to the UK. As a matter of longstanding policy, the department is unable to release information regarding threat assessments on the grounds of national security.The government is clear that any challenges to its core values, whatever their origin, will not be tolerated.If there is a concern that a school is not fulfilling its legal duties, complaints procedure should be followed. Where the department is made aware that schools are not fulfilling their legal duties, it will investigate.

Schools and Teachers: Harassment

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are aware of (1) any school in England receiving bomb threats, (2) any teacher receiving death threats, from Islamist extremists in the past five years; and if so, when, at which schools, and what they are doing to encourage the arrest of those responsible.

Baroness Barran: The department has been made aware of a small number of incidents of this nature initiated by individuals who have Islamist and other extremist views.The department is clear that it is never acceptable to threaten or intimidate teachers and schools. Where the department has been aware of incidents of this nature, it has engaged with the school, local authority and the police to ensure an appropriate response.The police, who are operationally independent, are responsible for investigating criminal activity associated with these incidents and will take action where they deem appropriate.To support the sector, the department has published School and College security guidance, which includes dealing with incidents such as bomb threats.

Schools: Collective Worship

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask His Majesty's Government whether schools in England are free to decide where collective prayer should take place on their premises.

Baroness Barran: Maintained schools and academies are required to conduct a daily act of collective worship which is wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character. Most schools with a religious designation may conduct collective worship which aligns with their trust deeds or tenets of their religion.Daily acts of collective worship, subject to the right of withdrawal, must include all pupils attending a school. As a rule, all acts of collective worship should take place on the school premises and schools are free to determine where in the school it takes place. Schools have discretion to organise collective worship elsewhere on special occasions.

Home Office

Batley Grammar School: Harassment

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask His Majesty's Government whether a Batley Grammar Schoolmaster and his family are in hiding after he showed his pupils a picture of Mohammed two years ago.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Government remains dedicated to our commitment to tackling those who spread views that promote violence and hatred against individuals and communities in our society and must always stand up to those who seek to undermine our fundamental values and spread hate.The Home Office does not hold information on police protection in relation to this case. This is a matter for West Yorkshire Police, which is operationally independent of Government.

Immigration: Appeals

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government howmany Home Office Immigration decisions were overturned on appeal in (1) 2000, (2) 2020, and (3) 2022.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’ (available on gov.uk). Data on asylum appeals determined can be found in table Asy_D07 of the ‘Asylum and resettlement detailed datasets’. The latest data relate to the year ending March 2023 and covers the period 2010 to Q1 2023.Historical asylum appeals determined data can be found in table as_14. The data covers the period 2007 to 2018.Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks.Additionally, statistics on appeals relating to all Immigration decisions are published by the Ministry of Justice in their 'Tribunal statistics' collection (available on gov.uk).Asy_D07 (xlsx, 819.3KB)table as_14.  (xlsx, 11.6KB)

Asylum: Housing

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have taken into account the advice they issue to UK nationals travelling to overseas countries when discussing the suitability of those countries to house asylum seekers.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: FCDO travel advice is to help British nationals make informed decisions about foreign travel and plan for a safe trip and is based upon the FCDO’s assessment of the risk to the safety and security of British nationals specifically.In contrast, when the Home Office determines whether a third country is safe for an asylum seeker, we are considering the risks faced by the claimant in accordance with our international obligations under the Refugee Convention and European Convention for Human Rights.

Asylum: Rwanda

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government in addition to Rwanda which countries they have held discussions with about potentially deporting asylum seekers who have not been approved for admission into the UK.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: We are committed to working closely with international partners to tackle the global migration crisis and disrupt the business model of criminal gangs who are putting lives at risk.However, we are unable to comment on discussions that may be being held with other countries.

Cabinet Office

Legislation: Parliamentary Scrutiny

Lord Norton of Louth: To ask His Majesty's Government how many post-legislative reviews have been undertaken and published by government departments since January 2020; how this figure compares with reviews published in the periods 2010–15 and 2016–20; and what plans there are to expand the use of post-legislative reviews of Acts three to five years after enactment.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government published two post-legislative reviews between January 2020 and June 2023, two post-legislative reviews between 2010-15 and nine post-legislative reviews between 2016-20. The Government remains committed to using post-legislative reviews to examine the impact of legislation after it has been passed.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Uganda: HIV Infection and LGBT+ People

Baroness Barker: To ask His Majesty's Government what direct help they are providing to (1) HIV, and (2) LGBTQ+, organisations in Uganda.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Through our contributions to the Global Fund, the UK is helping to tackle HIV/AIDS in Uganda by providing targeted prevention, testing and treatment services. This includes community outreach and the facilitation of drop-in centres that offer services such as legal and human rights, psychosocial and mental health support. The UK is the third largest donor to the Global Fund, having contributed £4.4 billion since its inception. Last year, the UK committed a further £1 billion over three years which will help reach three million members of key populations, such as LGBT+ groups, worldwide with prevention programmes.The UK is appalled that the Anti-Homosexuality Act was signed into law in Uganda and strongly condemns the introduction of the death penalty for 'aggravated homosexuality'. This legislation undermines the protections and freedoms of all Ugandans and will serve only to increase the risk of violence, discrimination and persecution while setting back the fight against HIV/AIDs. The British High Commission in Kampala engages with a range of stakeholders in Uganda, including LGBT+ organisations, to understand the impact of the Act and to drive a co-ordinated response. We will continue to stand up for human rights and freedoms in Uganda and around the world.

Turkey: River Euphrates

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government whatrepresentations they are making to the government of Turkey about their alleged violation of the 1987 agreement concerning water flow on the river Euphrates, leading to acute shortages of water for drinking and irrigation in the provinces of (1) Hasakah, (2) Raqqa, (3) Deir ez Zor, and (4) Aleppo, and consequent risks of (a) cholera, (b) hepatitis, and (c) typhoid fever.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is monitoring water supply issues in north east Syria, which are limiting 5 million people's access to water. We have raised the humanitarian issue of water availability with all parties in the region, including Turkey, and we are working with our partners to prioritise our funds for the most acute needs.The UK also continues to monitor health across Syria closely, and responded specifically to the Cholera outbreak with a £2 million contribution to UNICEF's response announced in November 2022 to help prevent the spread of cholera, including in north east Syria.

Turkey: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations, if any, they are making to the government of Turkey concerning reports that drone strikes used by that country have caused (1) deaths, and (2) injuries, in north and east Syria.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We regularly engage the Turkish Government on regional stability, including in Syria. Most recently, I [Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon] represented the UK's position to Turkish counterparts in Istanbul on 9 June. The UK is closely monitoring the situation in northern Syria. We recognise Turkey's legitimate security interests in the region but encourage restraint from activity that could lead to further destabilisation or civilian loss of life. Security and stability in the region are necessary to prevent worsening of the already serious humanitarian situation in northern Syria and enable the Global Coalition and its partners to continue the fight against Daesh.

UNRWA: Finance

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government whatdiscussions they have had with other donor countries about providing new funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA) following UNWRA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini’s forecast on 20 June of likely cuts to UNWRA's service provision.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are longstanding supporters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), providing essential humanitarian support to Palestinian refugees across its five zones of operation. Our annual contribution to their programme budget helps UNRWA provide education to over 533,000 children a year (half of them girls), and access to health services for 3.5 million Palestinian refugees. We are aware of UNRWA's financial challenges and frequently raise this with MENA regional partners at ministerial level. To that end, the UK Government is working with UNRWA and other international donors to help ensure its sustainability.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Buildings: Solar Power

Lord Taylor of Goss Moor: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of a market-led strategy through which developers are responsible for the installation of solar photovoltaic panels on suitably oriented roofs on new buildings.

Lord Callanan: The Government is working to publish a full technical consultation later this year on the Future Homes and Building Standards. As part of the consultation, we will explore how we can continue to drive onsite renewable electricity generation, such as solar panels, where appropriate in new homes and buildings.

Carbon Emissions

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what action they intend to take in response to the Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) Progress Report to Parliament 2023, published on 28 June 2023, which states that the CCC’s confidence in the UK meeting its Net Zero goals from 2030 onwards is now “markedly” less than it was in their previous assessment a year ago, and in particular, their conclusion that better transparency is no substitute for real delivery; and what action they are taking (1) to speed up (a) the rollout of heat pumps and (b) the tree planting, and (2) to increase their support for cleaner, cheaper alternatives over the production of new coal, oil and gas, and (3) to encourage people to reduce high carbon activities, as identified in the Progress Report as areas in need of improvement.

Lord Callanan: We will publish our full response to the recent CCC Progress Report this coming Autumn, as per statutory requirements.

Ministry of Justice

HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Interpreters

Baroness Coussins: To ask His Majesty's Government when the independent review of qualifications and experience required of spoken language interpreters in HM Courts and Tribunals Service will be completed; and when it will be published.

Lord Bellamy: The review of qualifications and experience has been completed by an independent expert. We are considering its findings as part of a wider review of service requirements currently being undertaken within the Ministry of Justice, which is helping inform the development of new tender specifications. This is a complex process and covers a wide range of agencies within MoJ. Because this is linked with the ongoing language services procurement and invitation to tender work it is unlikely anything will be published before 2024. We will, of course, publish the outcome of the review once it is complete.